The Digital Press

This detailed post explains how Clojure web development differs from traditional monolithic frameworks by emphasizing composition of libraries and first principles. It walks through building a minimal Clojure web app using Ring and Jetty, illustrating middleware and routing fundamentals.

Why it matters: Clojure’s library-centric approach offers deep control and flexibility, avoiding rigid architecture constraints typical in conventional frameworks.

The big picture: Instead of monolithic frameworks, Clojure web apps assemble modular, composable libraries, requiring developers to understand HTTP abstraction, middleware, and routing from the ground up.

The stakes: While flexible, this approach can increase maintenance complexity and dependency management challenges, especially for hobby projects with many moving parts.

Commenters say: Readers appreciate the clear, foundational explanation and Clojure’s unique approach but note that managing numerous dependencies and updates can be tedious compared to more integrated frameworks.